Donkey Kong 64 is in an uncomfortable position. It's not the last collectathon on the N64; it's not even the best game in that genre. It's not the mythological white whale that I made it out to be as a child. It's laggy, frustrating, obtuse at times, and the final fight is probably as unsatisfying as it could possibly be. And even so— especially so— I had a blast with DK64.

A lot of that enjoyment comes from seeing just how enormous the game world actually is. Levels sprawl out in all directions, collectibles are scattered absolutely everywhere, and navigating the space rarely felt cumbersome or confusing. There's a lot to be said for how well this game captures some of the exceptional spirit of Donkey Kong Country without limiting itself to the tighter scope of that game. In other words, DK64 is a vibe, something that lands it between the dark odyssey of Majora's Mask and the bright, punchy visuals of Banjo Kazooie. It grabs onto that sense of exploration and keeps it going, and going, and going, and going...

And then it stops.

The major hiccup is just how many minigames there are. This dead horse has already been beaten into the ground, but almost all of these minigames could be replaced with a more traditional "bonus room" (ala DKC) or just removed altogether. If you squint at the screen, you might start to feel like the entire game is a minigame: The levels blur together, the collectibles blur together, and everything collapses in on itself until three hours have passed and your collection rating has gone up by 10%.

The solution to this was to take frequent breaks. (Practically unheard of, at least to me.) DK64 is ironically suited to small bursts of playtime, where there's enough motivation to grab a few bananas or clear some minigames before stepping away from the console and doing something else. To be clear, this is to the game's benefit. The levels feel more enjoyable and more expansive when the game isn't played all in one (hand-cramp-inducing) sitting.

And again, we see DK64 taking this from its contemporaries, cashing in on the sweet spot of thirty-minute and one-hour play sessions that exemplified the "play style" of the N64's lifespan. The game does not design or encourage a marathon. And it was this realization that broke the floodgates and let me 101% the game.

Exploration is fun, adventuring is fun, and collecting things is fun. All too often I hear the idea that DK64 is little more than a bag full of hot air, and after playing it from start to finish, I have to disagree. There's a gem inside of this cartridge. You just have to give it time to breathe.

My closing thoughts are that DK64 is a game that has been woefully misunderstood. I want there to be more games like this in the future: Games that let themselves be vast, games that let themselves be overwhelming. Games that are "padded" with little adventures and things to do.

It's not an excellent game, and it never will be, but it lived up to my expectations— something I don't think I ever thought it would be able to achieve.